694 
July 5, 1890. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
habit is dwarf, and the leaves have a fine dark zone. 
Another of a somewhat similar stamp is Mrs. Norman, 
with large pink flowers, lightly shaded with scarlet, 
but more deeply so towards the base of the petals. Of 
equal merit, and of a charming soft colour, are the 
flowers of Mrs. David Saunders. They are of a bright 
magenta-pink, shaded with white on the two upper 
petals. The flowers of Stella Massey are of a soft 
mauve-pink, of great size, and perfectly orbicular. 
It is certainly one of the best of its kind. La 
Lorraine has mauve-pink flowers of a darker shade, 
but they arc also smaller. Something in the way of 
the old Christine, Mrs. Upton, and others of that class, 
is Mons. Poirier, but the flowers are intensified to a 
deep magenta. They are about the size of Christine, 
and produced in the same dense truss, the flowers of 
■which open in succession, and thus keep up a display 
for a great length of time. It would no doubt answer 
as a bedding variety, owing to the stiff stout nature of 
the flower stalks. A parti-coloured flower of n different 
type is Edith Strachan, which may be compared to 
Mrs. Norman ; but the large circular blooms are rose 
heavily shaded with scarlet, and fading to white at the 
eye. One of the most charming and novel varieties 
that has been produced for a long time is that named 
Souvenir de Mirande, a continental production. The 
flowers are of a lively light scarlet shaded with rose, 
with one half of the two upper petals white, and a 
shading at the base of the lower oues. 
White-flowered varieties are not numerously repre¬ 
sented here ; but two kinds show a marked improvement 
upon the old Madame Vaucher, which used to be so 
much in vogue ten or fifteen years ago, or even more 
recently in many establishments. One of the two, 
named Amy Amphlett, has large and perfectly round 
white flowers. Possibly a better plant for pot culture 
is Guinevere, with flowers of equal size and perfect shape, 
but they are faintly tinted with blush. The plant is 
dwarf and compact, with a dark zone to the leaves, and 
the trusses are both large and well thrown above the 
foliage on stout peduncles. We have not yet obtained 
a yellow Pelargonium, but several modern varieties 
show a near approach in the pale orange-scarlet or 
cinnabar flowers. Of this stamp is Eourmaise, but the 
petals are narrower than in any of the above mentioned 
kinds. Notwithstanding this, the flowers are brilliant, 
and the 'variety should certainly find a place in 
collections. 
The flowers of Charles Mason are brilliant scarlet, 
with a white eye, large, orbicular, and handsome, and 
the variety is certainly one of the finest of its kind. 
Flamboyant is another dwarf sort with large, brilliant, 
scarlet flowers of a darker shade. The flowers of 
F. Hughes are smaller, but they are produced in huge 
trusses, and may be described as deep red,- with the two 
upper petals scarlet. It is a good variety for pot-work. 
Col. Colville is crimson, shaded with scarlet and violet ; 
and Eclair is scarlet, marked with a violet blotch at 
the base of the three lower petals, and borne in large 
branching trusses. L’lmortel is a continental variety 
with mauve-pink flowers shaded with violet-purple 
around the eye. It is of dwarf compact habit, very 
floriferous, and the flowers of the large truss are 
developed in succession over a considerable length of 
time. The leaves are small, and notable for the very 
dark zone traversing them. Copernic is another 
variety after the same style, and both are probably of 
the same strain and origin. 
Double Varieties. 
The double varieties in this collection are comparatively 
few, and as the same thing prevails elsewhere, it is 
evident that this type or form of the flower is far less 
popular with the million than the single types which 
are more brilliant. Auother reason is that they are 
unsuitable for bedding purposes, while for pot-work 
they give satisfaction only during the summer months, 
as more sunlight is necessary for their perfect develop¬ 
ment than in the case of single kinds. The individual 
flowers are, however, more durable, and when well 
grown are neither devoid of interest nor beauty, while 
they serve to give increased variety amongst a collection. 
They have been immensely improved in habit since the 
first double kinds were sent out. The plants now 
develop short-jointed wood, and the flowers appear 
more numerous o'n that account, and are more effective. 
One of the most attractive is that named G'harbon 
Ardent, with perfectly double orange-scarlet flowers, 
resembling a double form of Fourmaise above-mentioned. 
The flowers of Mrs. A. Colville are equally double. 
The habit of the plant is dwarf and compact, with 
dark-zoned leaves, and the flowers in large trusses are 
developed in succession during a long period of time. 
Very distinct in colour is M. Berger, the flowers of 
which are a mixture of violet, purple, and scarlet. 
Those of Albert Gandry are magenta-pink, and pro¬ 
duced in dense trusses that rise only about 0 ins. or 
8 ins. above the pot. The short-jointed wood produces 
a large quantity of bloom. The above four represent 
varieties of the first water as far as double-flowering 
kinds are concerned. 
A novelty in its way is Golden Acre Gem, a bicolor 
variety with a moderately wide pure white margin to 
the leaves, and double or semi-double white flowers. 
Captain A. Colville is something in the way of the old 
semi-double Wonderful, but the petals are, perhaps, 
more numerous. Gloire de France is a little more than 
semi-double, for the petals are spread out almost flat, 
and are not crowded, and they exhibit a curious mixture 
of colours, for the middle portion is pink, the tips 
white, and the base scarlet. The flowers of Casulle de 
Mendes are of large size and magenta, shaded with 
white at the base of the upper petals. The leaves are 
large with a pale zone. 
-- 
TOM THOROGOOD AT THE PINK 
SHOW. 
Mister Editor, Sur,—As you were so good as to 
speak kindly of me and my chums last week, I make 
bold to write you about them ere Pinks as we saw at 
the Aquarium show last week. I must tell you first 
that I am a gardner to a gentleman who has taken a 
fancy for Carnations and Pinks, and he says, says he, 
“ Thomas, there is to be a show of Roses and Pinks at 
the Aquarium, and as you dont often have a holiday 
I will pay your fare to London, and you can take your 
wife with you ; you will see the Pinks, and may pick 
up a wrinkle or two.” Well, sur, I went and saw them ; 
the Roses were grand, they beat all that I have seen, 
and my wife says, says she, “ Tom, my lad, these beat 
you,” and I was forced to own it. Well, as I was sent 
to see the Pinks, I found my way upstairs to the big 
room ; first thing I saw some white Pinks, they were 
very well, but I could do as well as they myself, but the 
gentleman said they were seedlings ; well, they were a 
great deal better than I can get from seed, although 
master pays the best price for it. 
But he took me a little further on, and I was fair 
stunned with the flowers I saw in they boxes; they 
Pinks were almost as big as Cabage Roses, and were as 
fine a3 if they had been set with compases, and so 
regular that I could not pass them. I looked at the 
names, and I saw that they ware the same names as 
master bought last year, but I could not think them 
the same, they were three times the size of any I could 
have shown. Mary says, “Tom, these are quite putting 
thee out of the market; I thought thee clever, but I 
see thou has a lot to learn. These will take the conceit 
out of thee ; no wonder thy master grumbled if he has 
seen such flowers as these.” I felt like a dog that had 
been whipped, and inclined to run away wi’ my tail 
between my legs; however, I turned round to my 
neighbour who was beside me, and says I, “Can you 
tell me how it is done ? Mine is good soil, and I don’t 
spare manure ; my master buys the best of everything, 
and I cannot bear that he should be disappointed.” 
Well, says he, “ I can feel for you, but I am in the 
same fix. I would advise you to write to the Editor 
of The Gardening World. Mayhap he or some one 
else will reply to your enquiry.” “Nay,” says I, “I 
am no scolar, I have no book larning, I have only what 
I picked up at our villiage Sunday school.” Mary says, 
“ Tom, dont be a fool. Write as he tells you, there’s 
nowt like trying ; live and learn, he cannot bite thy 
nose off; never try, never learn. Do as the gentleman 
advises ; he says that he will send thy letter to the 
paper. I should like to see thou in print.” 
I came home fair down at mouth ; when master came 
in to see what I could say, I hung my head and could 
say nowt. Mary says, “Tom, dost thou hear the 
maister?” and I was forced to look him in the face aud 
tell him I was fair capped and did not know what to do 
or say, and still I was obliged to tell him all about it. 
He was very kind, but said that I must learn and try ; 
he must show as good flowers as his neighbours. If I 
could not do it he must get someone who could, as 
Carnations and Pinks he must have, and as good as 
others. So now, mister, I want you to tell me (if you 
will be so kind) what I am to do and how to cultivate, 
that I may be able to show with others, as my master 
says that he intends to do. 
If you or anyone else can and will instruct us poor 
working gardeners what to do and how to produce such 
perfect flowers, you will well deserve the thanks of all 
who desire to be proficient in their business and able to 
please their employers. Excuse all blunders, and 
believe me that both Mary and I and all my chums 
will be greatly obliged to The Gardening World.— 
Tom Thorogood. [We will endeavour to oblige at an 
early date.—E d.] 
-- 
VEGETABLE NOTES. 
Early Cauliflowers. 
Our lot is not cast in such a favourable district as 
“A. D.” appears to be in, otherwise he would see the 
great necessity of having to grow June Broccolis, if he 
wished to keep up a continuous supply of this valuable 
vegetable. We are situated at a good elevation, with 
a west aspect, and very much exposed, so that it is 
impossible to have Cauliflowers ready for use before the 
middle of June. Referring to my diary I find that we 
stand favourably this year, as compared with previous 
seasons, in having Cauliflowers in at an early date. 
We cut our first dish of the latter on the 18th, and our 
last dish of Broccoli on the 24th inst., so that I can 
assure “A. D.” we find one to be quite as great an 
acquisition as the other. I do not know the origin of 
Methven’s Extra Select Forcing Cauliflower, but I can 
say that it is a first-rate variety, being very dwarf and 
compact, the head of medium size, very white, and of 
superior flavour. I find they have ample space if 
planted 15 ins. apart each way. If sown in the third 
week of January in a gentle heat and well looked after, 
they will be ready to cut at least four or five days 
before Early London, sown on August 12th, and planted 
on the same ground.— J. Enshton, The Gardens, 
Clencood, Corstorphinc, Edinburgh. 
Early Dwarf Pea, Chelsea Gem. 
Having tried most of the early Peas—both dwarf and 
tall-growing sorts—during the last twenty years, I 
have come to the conclusion, taking all things into 
consideration, that the best I have met with is Chelsea 
Gem. It is not one of the small, hard, round kinds, 
whose only recommendation is their hardiness, but a 
large-podded and well-flavoured sort for an early round 
Pea. Some of the pods have as many as eight peas in 
them, Our first sowing was mads on the 30th of 
January on a south border, and they were sown with a 
dibble, one seed in each hole. They had no protection 
at any time ; we did not even stake them, and we 
commenced gathering on June 6th. Some round tall- 
growing sorts were sown on the same border a few days 
after, and staked in the usual way. From these we 
could not gather before June 21st. Another year I 
shall put small stakes to Chelsea Gem, believing that 
had we have done so this year they would have gained 
two or three days in earliness. Chelsea Cram is a very 
heavy cropper for a dwarf Pea, and I can strongly 
recommend it.— Con. 
Tomato, Ham Greek Favourite. 
Will any of your correspondents kindly give their 
experience of this variety ? At Mr. Whately’s, Kenil¬ 
worth, where over 5,000 plants are now fruiting, all 
grown under the same conditions, Ham Green Favourite 
is not so early nor such a good cropper as Hackwood 
Park, as also a seedling from that variety and the large 
Old Red. Market growers value early heavy-cropping 
kinds, and Mr. Whately goes in for very early crops ; 
he had cut 10 tons by the 20th of June, and a fine lot 
of fruit these were. He depends to a great extent upon 
the seedling above mentioned, which is certainly a 
heavy cropper, and produces fine fruit.— D. S. II. 
-- 
THE ORIGIN OP THE CULTI¬ 
VATED STRAWBERRY. 
By Shirley Hibberd.* 
The cultivated Strawberry of British gaidens is a com¬ 
paratively modem fruit, for of ancient history it has 
none ; and consequently there are not many mysteries 
in connection with its origin, the clearing up of which 
might bring honour to the present essayist. But we 
have ancient Strawberries that can scarcely be said to 
be cultivated now, although there is something to be 
said for them as wholesome agreeable fruits that have a 
somewhat picturesque history. Time was when the 
wild berry of the woods had a place in gardens, but 
that time has passed ; our native Wood Strawberry has 
been superseded by a more stately, and iu some respects 
superior fruit, that obtains from us an immensity of 
skill and care ; while as to the Strawberry of the past, 
it is scarcely known to auy but wayside botauists and 
village children ; and these important persons prefer 
' We are iadebted to the courtesy of Mr. Hibberd for a copy 
of this paper, which was read at the meeting of the British 
Fruit Growers’ Association on the 27th nit. 
